Warhammer Fantasy Witch Hunter (5e Class)

Witch Hunter variant (5e Class)

The arcane arts are a gateway to the infernal realms. Many a practitioner have fallen to the depths and the seduction of power without supervision and innocents pay for it, the only way to stop atrocity is to root it out at the source. Heresy and corruption grows in every corner of the world and the only group willing to combat its influence is the Witch Hunters, trained in the art of shrewd investigation, relentless scouring, and judgement. Those who would bargain their souls to the dark powers must be wary for the righteous hunt them, and they shall never rest or compromise.

Investigation and Judgement

The profession of the Witch Hunter is to scour the land in search of corrupting artifacts and infernal worshiping cults and bring them to judgement, steel in hand. Casting suspicion on those which practice the arcane arts is natural and expected, some of the order may tolerate the mage and others scorn it as an abomination of nature. Any village or city could be corrupted, any king or peasant could be plotting the downfall of all that is good, there is no person that cannot have a wary eye cast on them. No crime is too small, no sacrifice too great. But to accuse all who cross the path of the Witch Hunter leaves those who could destroy the fabric of reality to their devices, a investigation based on apparent evidence or intuition is required. Interrogation, deduction, and search are all tools the Witch Hunter is trained in, and none are more refined in their use. Many would question the right of the order and it's disregard for decency but to fight those who travel in the shadows the Witch Hunter must follow suit and delve into the darkness. There is no fear however, the will of the Witch Hunter cannot be swayed by mere promises of power, only paladins can boast such resistances to the corrupting forces on par with those of the order. The Witch Hunter shall never relent, fueled by indignation they shall ensure the survival of the world at any cost.

Creating a Witch Hunter

The order of Witch Hunters is a secretive order, hiding in wait for signs of heresy. Think about how someone might even encounter the deeds of the Witch Hunter much less be inducted into the order. To be chosen to join the fold is to have been watched as a potential candidate among hundreds, was it your wit that beguiles even the most cunning charlatan that attracted the attention of the order? Or was it your determination and ability to stay steadfast in dire straits? Perhaps it was not the order as a whole that recruited your character, but a lone Witch Hunter that you encountered during a purging of a cult or destruction of an artifact. How did you play into the adventures of you mentor and why did he train you? What caused you to join to begin with? Was it a village destroyed by ruinous powers or a demon horde that ravaged your homelands? The training to become a hunter is rigorous and, at times, life threatening. You are expected to become pragmatic and ruthless in your trials but some still come out optimistic for the future. When you become a full fledged Witch Hunter did you expect to die in the future fighting against impossible odds? Or do you believe in the triumph of good over evil? Perhaps it's revenge that propels you, a indignation that can only be sated with blood of the wicked. These are some things to consider while making your character.

Quick Build

You can make a Witch Hunter quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma, Wisdom or Strength should come afterwards. Second, choose the Acolyte, Sage, or Soldier background. Third, choose proficiency with Great Swords and choose Arcana, Investigation, and Insight to be your skill proficiencies.

Class Features

As a Witch Hunter you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Witch Hunter level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Witch Hunter level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light, Medium, Shields
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Choose two Martial Weapons, Pistols (If no firearms are in your campaign replace all mentions of Pistol with all types of Crossbows)
Tools: Choose two of the following: Tinker's Tools, Alchemist's Supplies, and Thieves' Tools
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Choose three from Arcana, Athletics, Deception, History, Intimidation, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, Religion, Stealth and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) Studded Leather Armor or (b) Scale Mail
• (a) A Martial Weapon with which you are proficient and a Pistol or (b) Simple Weapon with which you are proficient and two Pistols
• (a) An Alchemy Kit or (b) A set of Thieves' Tools
• An Explorer's Pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4*10 in funds.

Table: The Witch Hunter

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Accusation, Hunter's Fighting
2nd	+2	Hunters Sense
3rd	+2	Witch Hunter Archetype
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Find the Witch!
5th	+3	Multi Attack, Catch the Witch!
6th	+3	Fanatical accusation
7th	+3	Ruthless Cunning,
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	—
10th	+4	Banishment
11th	+4	Witch Hunter Archetype Feature
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	Mental Fortitude
14th	+5	No Escape
15th	+5	Witch Hunter Archetype Feature
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Crusade against Corruption
18th	+6	Incorruptible Soul
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Destroyer of Monsters

Accusation

Starting at 1st level you strike fear into the hearts of your enemies. As a bonus action you can choose a creature that can hear you and Accuse them of heresy, making the creature Hostile towards you. You may not accuse another creature until the effect ends, however if the creature dies or is captured, you may use a bonus action to place Accusation on a different creature. While a creature is accused, you gain advantage for skill checks to uncover information about its whereabouts and any charisma checks against it. You may use this effect a number of times in the accusation charge table, and you regain all charges on a long rest. This effect lasts for 1 hours (up to 8 at level 3) or until the creature dies.

Hunter's Fighting

Starting at 1st level, Years of hunting chaos has honed your fighting abilities. When making a weapon attack with a weapon that you are proficient in, you may instead use your intelligence modifier for attack and damage rolls.

Zealous accusation

Starting at 2nd level you may spend your Bonus Action to have advantage on attack rolls made against creatures that are under the effect of your accusation.

Find the Witch!

Starting at 4th level you gain proficiency in the Investigation and Intimidation skills or double the proficiency bonus in both if you are already proficient.

Catch the Witch!

Beginning at 5th level accused enemies have disadvantage on all concentration checks that you impose on them.

Fanatical accusation

At 6th level your accusations now reach the ears of Sigmar himself, blessed be his name. You now land critical hits on 19 & 20 attack rolls made against accused creatures.

Witch Hunter Archetype

All Witch Hunters eventually divide on how to best hunt the creatures and quarry they seek. Starting at 3rd level you become a Puritan or Inquisitor Witch Hunter. These archetypes give features at 3rd, 5th, 7th, 11th, and 15th level.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you may make 2 weapon attacks with the attack action.

Banishment

Starting at 10th level you have learnt to strike at the source of hellish powers and demon worshipers and tear their unholy bodies asunder. On your turn, the first time you hit a fey, fiend, or undead creature they take an additional 2d6 psychic damage. In addition any Accusation used on this creature does not consume an Accusation charge.

Mental Fortitude

Your thoughts appears as slivers of pure agony to the those who intrude into the sanctuary of your mind, its walls have been trained to deny entry of those who wish to break in. You are immune to being charmed or frightened and any attempts to read your mind results in a backlash to the assailant and they take 2d10 psychic damage.

No Escape

On your turn you may spend a bonus action to acquire the following effect on your attacks for that round. Whenever you do damage to an Accused creature you may choose to reduce their speed to 10 ft unless their speed is lower. They must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC: (8 + Proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier) You may also use this feature to see through Sigmar's eyes, to peer at an accused creature and you can see them and everything around them in a 200 foot radius, so long as they are on the same plane as you.

Crusade against Corruption

Word of your accusations have spread across the land rallying the forces of purity. All creatures gain all of your benefits against accused creatures.

Incorruptible Soul and Body

No amount of energy from the lower planes can harm you, the strings that move the undead would shred the flesh of the living, but for you it is but a light breeze. Starting at 19th level you gain immunity to poison and Necrotic damage.

Destroyer of Monsters

You have become the ultimate hunter of monsters, you name is whispered in hushed corners of the world as a fable, something to fear. Beginning at 20th level when you rolled a critical against an Accused creature, the creature must succeed a constitution saving throw with a save DC of 10 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier or be turned to dust.

Puritan

The Puritan sect of Witch Hunters believes that magic inherently corrupts and the only way to avoid it’s influences is in the destruction of the source. To be a Puritan Witch Hunter is to be ruthless and relentless in the hunt for the evils of the world and root it out by any means necessary. Being accused by a puritan is a death sentence. There is only a handful who have survived a Puritans accusation, for once they accuse, they will never back down until the corrupted creature is ground into dust.

Call of the Extremist

Upon Choosing puritan you gain access to Puritans Purge, a resource used to enhance your accusations. You have Puritans Purge points equal to your intelligence modifier. When casting an accusation, or on your turn, you may spend a bonus action to achieve one of the following effects.

• Challenging Accusation (3rd level) -
• Crusaders Accusation (5th level) -
• Broad Accusations (6th level) -
• Dreadful Accusation (7th level) -

Fighting Style

Starting at 3rd level you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

• Archery: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

• Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

• Great Weapon Fighting: When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

• Close Quarters Shooter: When making a ranged attack while you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll. Your ranged attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover against targets within 30 feet of you. You have a +1 bonus to attack rolls on ranged attacks.

Steel and Gunpowder

You have trained your body to fight the enemies of man and years of practice has conferred onto you weapon mastery. At 3rd level whenever you attack using a melee weapon you may fire a pistol as a bonus action or vice versa regardless if you are using a two handed weapon. If Duel Wielding pistols you do not require a free hand to load it. You may also pick 2 more weapons to gain proficiency in, as well as gaining proficiency in heavy armor and heavy weapons.

Challenger's Accusation

You may spend a Puritans Purge to challenge the accused. The accused may not willingly move out of a 30 foot sphere centered on yourself. Furthermore, they must make a wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC: (8 + prof. + intelligence modifier) or else the creature can only focus on you, the accuser. The Accused creature has disadvantage on any attack roles made against creatures other than yourself.

Crusaders Accusation

Sigmar now blesses your Accusations. Beginning at 5th level, you may spend a Puritans Purge to gain the following effect: successful attacks against an accused target each round gains an additional (1d6) psychic damage. Increased to (2d6) at level 11, and (3d6) at level 15.

Broad Accusation

Starting at 6th level, when an accused creature dies or is captured, you may spend a Puritans Purge to move the accusation to another creature, not consuming another Accusation charge.

Dreadful Accusation

A puritan's accusation is something to be feared. Beginning at level 7, when a creature is effected by your accusation they must make a (wisdom saving throw DC: 8 + Proficiency + your charisma modifier) or be frightened by you. The creature may attempt to make another save at the end of each of it's turns.

Lurid Accusation

Starting at 11th level, whenever you accuse a creature all of the Puritans Purge effects are automatically applied on the round that the Accusation is casted.

Placeholder

At 15th level you instantly bonk the accused.

Inquisitor

The Inquisitor sect of Witch Hunters believes that the only way to protect the masses is through investigation and rationalism, to let superstition overcome common sense is how demons and witches come into existence. To be an Inquisitor Witch Hunter is to use your occupation to serve the public with research and investigation and root out heresy before it grows. They also are even more devout in their hunt against those who use foul magics to further their own gain. An Inquisitor's expertise in fighting magic users far surpasses that of even their fellow Witch Hunters.

Inquisitor's Propensity

Upon choosing Inquisitor, you gain Inquisition charges equal your intelligence modifier. You may spend a reaction to spend a charge to use one of the following effects

• Blessing of Sigmar- Reroll a saving throw against a magical effect
• Shield of Sigmar- Reduce the damage of a spell by half
• Hammer of Sigmar- Take a reaction attack against an enemy that is casting a spell
• Aura of Compulsion(6th level) - You emit an overpowering presence that guards against deception, any creature that hears your words must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, a creature can’t speak a deliberate lie while in the radius. You know whether each creature succeeds or fails on its saving throw. An affected creature is aware of this presence and can thus avoid answering questions to which it would normally respond with a lie. Such a creature can be evasive in its answers as long as it remains within the boundaries of the truth.

Antipathy for magic

Years of study has allowed you to determine the origin of arcane arts and spells, and how to beget them. When you pick Inquisitor, you may choose one of the following at 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels. You gain proficiency in the Arcana, Insight, or Deception skills or expertise if you are already proficient.

Dispell Ignorance

Starting at 4th level, you have the ability to help others to escape mind suppressing magical effects that Demons so often use. Once per long rest, you may spend a bonus action to give an allied creature that can hear you advantage to Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma saving throws on their next turn.

Aura of Compulsion

Starting at 6th level, your presence has become both feared and renown as a witch hunter. Upon activating this effect, you emit an overpowering presence that guards against deception. Any creature that hears your words must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, a creature can’t speak a deliberate lie while in the radius. You know whether each creature succeeds or fails on its saving throw. An affected creature is aware of this presence and can thus avoid answering questions to which it would normally respond with a lie. Such a creature can be evasive in its answers as long as it remains within the boundaries of the truth.

Additional Studies

At 11th level you may choose another skill from the Witch Hunter Skill list to be proficient in, you gain an additional 2 intelligence and your maximum intelligence increases by 2 to a maximum of 22.

Icon of Deduction

At 15th level you and all friendly creatures that can see you gain advantage on investigation and insight skill checks.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Witch Hunter class, you must swear off any form of spell casting, and you must meet these prerequisites: Wis 13 and Chr 13

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Witch Hunter class, you gain the following proficiencies: Investigation or Insight, Simple Weapons, Pistols, Light armor, Medium armor

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